Ignition system for internal-combustion engines.



W. L. LEARNED.

IGNITION SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20. 1915.

1,241,999. Patented 0m. 2, 1917.

2 SHEETS SHEET I.

WITNESSES IHVENTOR ML Zea/r2662 A TTORNE KS W. L. LEARNED.

IGNITION SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENG'NES.

APPLICATION man OCT. 20. I915.

1,241,999. Patented Oct. 2,1917.

2 $HEETS5HEET 2' avg.

WITN88S INVEIITDR 3/ 14 1. L ea rhea WILLARD LESLIE LEARNED,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- or OAKDALE, CALIFORNIA.

IGNITION SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

Application filed October 20, 1915. Serial No. 56,921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD L. LEARNED, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oakdale, in the county of Stanislaus and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Ignition System for Internal Combustion Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to pro vide a series of cylinders intercommunicating, whereby the charge in one cylinder is directly or indirectly ignited by the charge in one of the other cylinders; to provide a system of the character mentioned wherein the products of combustion in one cylinder are employed as ignition means for exploding the charge in another cylinder; to provide mechanism for carrying the system into effect, and power-driven means for operating said mechanism in timed relation to the charged cylinder; and to provide an exhaust system for engines of the character mentioned, for releasing an ignition charge of the products of combustion in each cylinder preliminary to completing the exhaust therefrom.

Drawings-Figure 1 is a top plan View of an engine constructed and arranged in conformity with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken as on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail view on an enlarged scale showing an ignition passage communicating between'the combustion chambers of two cylinders, and a valve for controlling the same;

Fig. 4: is a detail View of the mechanism employed for advancing and retarding the ignition in the cylinders of the engine.

Description-.The herein described system is applicable to any engine assemblage wherein two or more power cylinders are employed. In the accompanying drawings, a power unit is shown embodying a battery of cylinders, which. for the sake of clearness, are separately designated by the numerals 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. These cylinders, as shown best in Fig. 2 of the drawings, are disposed in vertical, parallel, and paired relation. A single crank case 16 is employed, through which and in which crank shafts 17 and 18 have bearings. The shaft 18 is provided with a timing gear wheel 19, the teeth whereof are meshed with the teeth of a gear wheel 20 on the cam shaft 22. A

similar wheel 20 mounted on the opposite shaft is operatively connected with the wheel 19, by wheels 19 and 21. The wheel 19 is loosely mounted, having external bearing on bushing 10, wherein a bearing for shaft 17 is formed. The gear wheels 20 are mounted on lay or cam shafts 22 at opposite Sides of the case 16 wherein they are provided with bearings, and are suitably furnished with cams 23 and 24 to lift the valves 25, which valves are conventionally constructed and arranged to expose the intake and exhaust ports provided in the va rious cylinders, to secure a properly timed relation thereof.

The wheel 21 is a duplicate of the wheels 20 and is rotated synchronously therewith by the wheel 19, The wheel 21 is mounted on a cam shaft 26. the cam 27 whereof lifts the plunger 28, moving the valve stem 29 and plunger 30 connected therewith, and causing the passage 31 to open and close the by-pass 32 extending between each of the cylinders and a companion cylinder therefor. The bypass 32 is embodied in the brackets 33 and the pipes 34 connecting the brackets and valve chamber formed therein with the corresponding cylinder of the group or battery of cylinders, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

One or more of the cylinders are provided with a sparking device, such as the plug 35, shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. It will be understood, however, that the sparking plug or other ignition device, if used at all, is used only as a preliminary ignition member. After the engine has started, the working ignition is maintained by the flaming gases transferred from the combustion chamber of each cylinder by the by-pass 32 connecting the same with another cylinder wherein the charge is ready for ignition.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the initial explosion occurs in the explosion chamber of cylinder 8. Subsequent to the firing of the initial charge, the order of firin is as follows: cylinder 14; cylinder 10; cylinder 12; cylinder 11; cylinder 13; cylinder 9; cylinder 15, and cylinder 8. The cams and 24: are disposed with reference to the desired power-stroke succession in the various cylinders. The cams 27 on the shaft 26 stem 29 and plunger 30 for registering the passage 31 with the by-pass 32. The flaming gases at this instant, it will be understood, are under a compression somewhat higher than the mechanical compression of the unexploded gases in the corresponding chambers. Hence, the flaming gases from the cylindcr wherein the explosion has occurred, are carried through the by-pass 32 into the chamber of the ready cylinder.

To specify more closely the manner of firing, it will be assumed that the initial exploSion has occurred in the cylinder 8, the charge therein having been ignited by means of the spark plug As shown best in Fig. :3 of the drawings, when the piston 36 has descended on its power stroke to near the half thereof. the cam lifts the plunger 30 to register the passage 31 with the by-pass 32. In this instance, the by-pass 32 communicates with the cylinder 14. The piston 36 in the cylinder 1+ is at this instant at the top of its compression stroke, Where the charge previously delivered thereto is in condition for ignition. This now occurs, driving the piston 36 on its power stroke, the first half whereof is coincident in point of time with the last half of the power stroke of the piston 36 in the cylinder 8. As soon as the piston 36 in cylinder 14 moves on its power stroke, the cam :27 passes from under the plunger 28, permitting the plunger 30 to carry the passage 31 out of register with the by-pass 32. which thereafter remains closed as between the two cylinders.

W'hen the piston 36 in cylinder 8 rises, the cam 24- lifts an exhaust valve of conventional form and arrangement with which the cylinder is provided. The subsequent exhaust of dead gases from the cylinder is in the manner common with engines of this type.

hen the piston 36 in cylinder 14 moves on its power stroke to the position shown, as of the piston 36 of cylinder 8 in Fig 2 of the drawings. the lay-pass leading from the cylinder 14 to the cylinder 10 is opened.

In the operation of the engine, the piston in cylinder 10 is, at this instant, in the position of the piston in cylinder 14, as shown in Fig. '2 of the drawings, or, in other words, is at the top of what is known as the compression stroke, and the charge therein is in condition for ignition. The flaming products of combustion are by-passed from cylinder 10 to cylinder 12 under the conditions above recited. Likewise, the flaming products are by-passed from cylinder 12 to cylinder 11; from cylinder 11 to cylinder 13; from cylinder 13 to cylinder 9; from cylinder 9 to cylinder 15, and from cylinder 15 to cylinder 8, the cycle then being complete.

As shown in the drawings, and particularly Fig. 1 thereof. the crank shafts 17 and 18 are connected by gear wheels 41 and 42, for rotation in relatively opposite directions and in powersnpported relation. It Will be understood that power may be transmitted from either or both of the shafts, the full operation of the engine being cfl ectively imparted in either case. It will further be understood that the inlet ports in all of the cylinders are connected by means of the pipes 38 with a suitable manifold operatively connected with a carbureter or other source of supply of conventional and accepted type. The same is true of the exhaust ports and the pipes 39 connected therewith, a manifold and muflier of accepted type being provided to receive the exhaust products of said cylinder therefrom.

For advancing and retarding the operation of the cams 27 and parts connected therewith. in relation to the operation of the crank shafts 17 and 18 and parts connected therewith, there are provided a control lever 43 and plug sleeve 4- 1. The latter is keyed by a pin 4-5, to the bushing 46 of the wheel 21, as shown best in Fig. 4. The end of the shaft 26 is furnished with a long pitched spiral thread with which the sleeve 44 is suitably engaged.

\Vhen the lever 43 is rocked to advance or retract the sleeve 44, the shaft 26 is rotated relatively to the wheel 21, and the cams 27 are advanced or retarded in point of time of their action.

Claim:

An engine as characterized comprising a series of progressively operatively connected power cylinders, said cylinders being arranged to progressively deliver the heated gases incident to the explosion in each thereof. to the next succeeding cylinder for exploding the compressed gases therein; valves and operating mechanism therefor controlling the passages of gas between cylinders; and manually controlled means for varying the relative timing of said mech anism.

WILLARD LESLIE LEARNED.

\Vitnesses EDWARD 'WILLIAM FISCHER, \VILLIAM Ancnm LANG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

